Victoria’s population sees massive boost after pandemic exodus

After a mass exodus during the pandemic, Victoria’s population soared right back up with an increase of more than 180,000 people.

High levels of overseas migration has driven a surge in Victoria’s population.

Victoria’s population grew by 181,800 last financial year – more than any other state in the nation.

Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows Victoria gained the most people in the 2023 financial year, followed by NSW with 172,600 and Queensland with 138,500 extra residents.

At least four in five people migrated from overseas with the remaining population boost coming from almost 30,000 births.

Victoria lost more than 1800 people to other states, with Queensland and Western Australia gaining thousands more people than they lost.

Leading demographer Bernard Salt said the strong growth in Victoria’s population over the last financial year was partly a “snap back” from the loss of people over the pandemic.

“Victoria and Melbourne lost the most people due to the Covid measures and many of those moved to the lifestyle regions – such as coastal NSW – if they were able to do so,” he said.

“A lot of that recent growth is a snap back from the pandemic period. Victoria was hardest hit and it makes sense that it is rebounding strongly.

“It’s a yoyo-effect – people went out and now they have come back.”

Victoria’s population grew by 181,800 residents in the last financial year which was more than any other state. Picture: Mark Stewart

Mr Salt said the enviable lifestyle Victoria provided was highly appealing.

“Victoria offers great quality of life – even though the weather can be tricky,” he said.

“We need to make sure that population growth in Victoria springs back over longer term to a level that is sustainable and workable to maintain our quality of life.”

Mr Salt said migration was also an important driver for population growth in Victoria.

“There is a strong recovery of the overseas student market and then there is strong growth form overseas (migration),” he said.

More than 190,000 international students were enrolled in higher education and VET courses in the year to December 2022.

The Australian Population Research Institute president Dr Bob Birrell said the dominant reason for the state’s population increase was high levels of overseas migration.

“We are the main focus of the recent surge in population associated with the higher education industry,” he said.

“Sydney and Melbourne dominate the overseas student market.

“We are growing more rapidly than NSW because we are not losing people interstate at the same level.”

WA had the highest percentage growth rate but that equated to around 86,000 extra people in the west – significantly less than Victoria.

“Western Australia had the fastest rise in population, growing 3.1 per cent over the previous year. This was followed by Victoria, which grew by 2.7 per cent, and Queensland which saw a 2.6 per cent rise,” ABS head of demography Beidar Cho said.

Australia’s population was 26.6 million people at the end of June 2023, an increase of 624,100 people over the year.

“There were 737,200 overseas migration arrivals and 219,100 departures, adding 518,100 people to our population from overseas migration,” Ms Cho said.

“People arriving on temporary visas, such as international students were the main contributor to the arrivals, with the number of departures remaining low as the cycle of arrivals and departures have not yet returned to typical pre-pandemic patterns.”